Across the country, key workers and middle-income families are being priced out of the communities they serve. Rents are rising. Supply is broken. The middle class is vanishing. And no one’s coming to fix it. 
 

Through the USC Distinguished Leaders program, current cohort member John Rochford developed a response: a grounded, values-led housing project designed to serve the people who keep our cities running. In this upcoming conversation, we will discuss how Rochford used his experience and network to move his personal, purpose-driven project and take a behind-the-scenes look at the Distinguished Leaders program.


Panelists include:

Kamy Akhavan - Managing Director, USC Dornsife Center for the Political Future; Former CEO of ProCon.org. An expert in solutions to political polarization, interpersonal communication, nonprofit leadership, digital marketing and civics education, Kamy Akhavan’s efforts have served more than 300 million people around the world. Akhavan leads and facilitates the Washington, D.C. module on Policy and Social Good for the USC Distinguished Leaders Program.

John Rochford - Retired Chairman, Snyder Langston. With a career spanning decades in the construction industry, John Rochford has demonstrated exceptional leadership and a commitment to innovation. As a USC Distinguished Leader, he is focused on building vibrant communities and expanding access to affordable homeownership for the Orange County workforce, including first responders, ensuring sustainable and inclusive development.

Julian Hirst - Strategic Leader, Innovator, and Global Business Growth Catalyst. With 15 years of board-level experience on four continents, Julian Hirst loves working with founders to build companies, including helping entrepreneurs and investors move from Phase One to Phase Two. Currently, he is the Regional Director, EMEA, for Busbud, a global online travel platform. Previously, he was Executive Director at WhereIsMyTransport, raising over $20m from investors including Google, Samsung, and Toyota, and leading the team that enabled millions of people in emerging markets to make a positive change in the way they move and in the way they live.

Sam Mistrano - Clinical Associate Professor, Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work. Sam Mistrano joined the faculty as an adjunct in 2004 and was elected to full-time associate status in 2010. He teaches both on campus and in the online Virtual Academic Center. Mistrano is chair of the school’s Policy sequence, director of Community Immersions and lead faculty for the foundation-year Policy Practice course. Previously, he was deputy executive director of the Southern California Association of Non-Profit Housing,